Aimee’s wheelchair/healthcare fund

Dolinac family in crisis as CMT (rare disease) steals mom's mobility and her ability to function in their home

My good friends, Stephen Dolinac, a NJ Police Lieutenant and his wife, Aimee, a stay a home mom of two boys under age 10 are struggling to make day to day life work. Stephen is the sole provider for his family, and while he has managed to move up in his ranks, committed to his work and his family, Aimee's disease is taking its toll on them every day. Aimee, 39, has a rare degenerative, neuromuscular condition called Charcot Marie Tooth Disease (CMT)  as well as a co-occurring condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) . The CMT has gradually reduced her mobility to where she cannot walk without significant mobility aides now. A year ago she could walk on her own, but now she struggles to make her way through their split level house and is unable to use the stairs without Stephen's help.

Aimee is alone most days coping with the chronic pain and often falls trying to do basic things, like use the bathroom or get dressed. The multiple falls have caused Aimee to have concussions, significant injuries in her back, and intermittent seizures. CMT has affected the neurological function of her bladder, caused issues swallowing food and water, and produced hearing loss. Having EDS means everything is slower to heal and she is more prone to serious injury when there is a fall. In addition to struggling to get herself through each day without further injury, Aimee cares for her 9 year old son with Pediatric Bipolar Disorder, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, and ADHD. While they have a few generous friends who help whenever possible, they are an hour away from family and can't afford to pay for extra help.

The Dolinacs are unable to move from their home because it's value is below what they owe on their mortgage. This means they are trapped in a place that cannot be made handicap accessible and is an hour from Stephen's job. It's dangerous because Aimee can't always be on the same level of the house as the boys are, and can't fit her wheel chair into the bedrooms or bathroom. The family is raising money to pay off the difference between what the house is worth and what they will owe so they can find a home on a single level that can be easily navigated by Aimee's wheel chair. In addition, moving would enable them to be closer to Stephen's job and both of their families so she would not be alone, with caring for the children or during the day while they're at school. They are hoping to reduce the time Stephen must commute in order to increase the time he can spend helping his family at home, too. While CMT is not fatal, it will continue to attack Aimee's nerves and muscles in her legs, feet, arms, and hands. The CMT and EDS will continue to affect her bladder and ability to swallow, and will cause her hearing loss to progress as well. They cannot wait for the market to shift, as her health continues to decline, and that's why I'm asking for your help now.

They would never ask for help themselves, so I had to start this campaign after seeing how much mobility Aimee has lost and knowing how little money they have from all of the medical expenses. Just watching her move from her bed to her wheel chair was hard and got me worried about how she can possibly keep living like this.
Please help me change the lives of this young family for the better. They will be so grateful and appreciatiative for anything you can do and anyone else you can share this with. 

Thank you so much!